ThredUp Fashion Footprint Calculator – Tool
ThredUP – has made the rounds and emerged a behemoth in the fashion industry as of late. The company is rooted in sustainability, from collaborating with environmental activists to allowing users to donate their used clothing for profit. Earlier this year, the brand launched their Fashion Footprint Calculator. Users answer eleven short questions, which are supplemented with graphics and thought-provoking facts, to obtain a personalized infographic detailing the environmental impact of their personal fashion habits. Check it out here!
The True Cost – Documentary
If looking to understand the ugly world of fast fashion, and the associated environmental and social justice it demands, the True Cost is a must-watch. Director Andrew Morgan brings viewers along on an enthralling journey across the world and into the lives of workers to learn the hidden truths of the textile industry. The 92-minute documentary provides a deep-dive into the various social and environmental issues brought about by the fashion industry, unveils its many hues of pollution, and leaves viewers reevaluating the clothes in their closet. If you’re looking to improve your understanding of the true impact of your shopping habits, click here.
Good on You – App
There’s an app for everything nowadays! Good on You, launched in 2015, offers all the juicy details about your favourite fashion brands’ environmental (planet and animals) and social impact. The free app and website aggregates public information with their own data from industry experts to calculate the positive or negative impact of thousands of fashion brands. Given the organization’s mission is to harness consumers’ buying power to make a change, detailed reasonings follow each brand’s ratings, as does a list of alternative brands to shop, so that you can easily make more informed and conscious buying decisions. Search “Good on You” in your app store or check out the website here!
Ellen MacArthur Foundation Denim Redesign Campaign – Video
“Redesigning The Fashion Industry: The Story of Jeans Redesign” offers a quick glance into the ingenious designers taking denim innovation to the next level! Circular denim will be on the market thanks to the Ellen MacArthur foundation! The story of why they chose to make buttonless, metal-less jeans that look as good on you as they make the Earth feel, is all shown explained in this informative video. Follow the Jean Redesign Project here!
Spirit of 608 – Podcast
If podcasts are more your style, check out Spirit of 608! Fashion business journalist Lorraine Sanders invites listeners into amazingly in-depth conversations about the current world of sustainable fashion. Lorraine interviews successful sustainable fashion professionals to offer real and honest advice for budding entrepreneurs and anyone looking to make a positive impact in fashion. Search “Spirit of 608” on Apple Podcast, Spotify or your favourite podcast app.
River Blue – Documentary
Discussions on water pollution often excludes one of the biggest contributors: the fashion industry. In environmentalist Mark Angelo’s 2016 documentary River Blue, viewers are offered a harrowing look into just how deep-rooted the issue of textile dye pollution is, the international corporations at fault, and the local residents that get the brunt of it all. Deeply riveting, fashion enthusiasts won’t be able to look away as one of the best well-kept secrets of the textile industry is finally brought to light. Rent it for free here.
Conscious Chatter – Podcast
Storyteller Kestrel Jenkins opens the conversation up to all things conscious consumerism. CEOs, founders and entrepreneurs get into why their companies set the highest standards in terms of sustainability, and how each product made and sold is a step in the right direction. Deeply inspiring and relatable, each episode leaves viewers both inspired and motivated to buy less and buy better. Search “Conscious Chatter” on Apple Podcast, Spotify or your favourite podcast app.
The Root – 5-Part Podcast Series by Conscious Chatter and Melanin & Sustainable Style
The Root is focused on decolonizing the sustainable fashion industry by dissecting systematically racist systems and institutions which pervade the world of sustainability, and discussing how determined creators, writers and activists are pushing back. Educators, artists, environmentalists and authors – and often a mix of all of the above – air out their assertions and beliefs to create thought-provoking conversations that will have you pausing and taking deep moments of reflection. Search “The Root by Conscious Chatter” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app.
“Sweatpants forever?” by The New York Times – Article
For a fascinating read about the fashion industry and the threads pulled that first began its unraveling, “Sweatpants forever” is your next must-read. The essay dissects how the fashion industry simultaneously evolved and crumbled over the years, starting all the way from the early 2000s. It is framed using a personal interview with designer Scott Sternberg, the mastermind behind Entireworld. Sternberg reveals his journey of fighting the traditional fashion industry – resisting the requests to produce more, create more and sell more – and how he emerged with a direct-to-consumer, slow and sustainable brand that draws customers with their products’ longevity. Read about the industry’s unrelenting and unsustainable need for speed here.
The Eco Hub
Founded by long-time Environmental Journalist Candice Batista, The Eco Hub is a Canadian online lifestyle and news publication devoted to all things sustainability. The site provides tips and tricks – that fit within an already busy schedule – for living a healthier, greener life. The Eco Hub is known for its impeccable reporting and trend-spotting on the green living beat. If you’re interested in learning more about ethical fashion, alongside additional topics like natural wellness, green beauty, low-waste living, general environmental news and more, this is the resource for you! Check it out here.
Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline – Book
Elizabeth Cline, renowned journalist, offers one of the most thorough looks into the meanings of well-known buzzwords like fast fashion and plastic pollution. Personal and relatable, Overdressed explains what our rapid consumer culture really means for the environment, the first world consumer and the third world seamstress. Cline recalls her transformation from the typical consumer who shopped almost as often as she wore the pieces, to the sustainability activist she is today, turning the retail industry on its head through the process. An excellent read for anyone looking to dip their feet into the world of sustainable fashion. Check out “Overdressed” by Elizabeth Cline in any public library.
If you’re well into your journey into sustainable fashion, check out “The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good”, Cline’s follow-up novel all about building a sustainable closet with clothes you’ll love to wear and love to tell your friends about.
We hope these resources help kick-start your sustainable fashion education. But know this… we’ve only just scratched the surface. There’s so much more information out there so to keep informed on new developments in the world of sustainable fashion, follow us on IG and subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page here!
